{"id":7798,"date":"2026-04-19T03:59:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=7798"},"modified":"2026-04-19T03:59:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:59:59","slug":"i-lost-a-dog-to-a-preventable-disease-what-vets-say-your-dog-needs-each-spring-to-stay-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=7798","title":{"rendered":"I Lost a Dog to a Preventable Disease \u2014 What Vets Say Your Dog Needs Each Spring to Stay Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I lost my soul dog, Bobbi \u2014 my first service dog \u2014 at just 11 years old to kidney disease tied to a tick-borne illness she had been living with for most of her life. She contracted canine ehrlichiosis before I adopted her \u2014 back when she was surviving as a street dog in the Bahamas \u2014 and by the time the long-term damage surfaced, there was nothing we could do.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of loss that rewires how you think about \u201coptional\u201d care.<\/p>\n

Now, every spring, I don\u2019t guess. I sit down with my veterinarian and go through everything \u2014 vaccines, preventatives, what\u2019s changed, and what actually matters.<\/p>\n

Because this time of year isn\u2019t just about warmer weather and longer walks. It\u2019s when risk ramps up. Ticks become active, mosquitoes return, and bacteria begin thriving in places your dog encounters every day, from puddles to neighborhood parks.<\/p>\n

And yet, for most pet owners, the spring vet visit feels confusing at best.<\/p>\n

There are more vaccines than ever. Preventatives come in multiple forms. Costs add up quickly. And it\u2019s not always clear what\u2019s essential versus what\u2019s simply recommended.<\/p>\n

I now travel year-round with Poppy<\/a>, my 13-pound Chiweenie and current service dog, and each spring we go through this process with her veterinarian, Dr. Bethany Yurek in Colorado. Over time, I\u2019ve learned how to separate what\u2019s critical from what\u2019s situational \u2014 and how to ask better questions in the exam room.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what veterinarians say your dog actually needs right now, and where you may have more flexibility than you think.<\/p>\n

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\"Bobbi